My apologies for the lack of posts today; I was busy with real world chores, like cleaning my basement and sorting through books and games I
really ought to get rid of. Anyway, I also spent some time going through the issues of
The Strategic Review and pre-
AD&D issues of
The Dragon (more on that later). Anyway, in issue 11, from December 1977, I came across an ad for a series of miniatures based on the demons featured in Supplement IV to OD&D by a company called Miniature Figurines Ltd. I'd never heard of this company [
Correction: Fool that I am, I somehow didn't connect "Miniature Figurines Ltd" and "Minifigs," a company I
have heard of] and I certainly don't recall ever seeing this miniatures:
Has anyone out there ever seen these? Were they ever in fact produced?
What's particularly interesting to me is that, based on the image above, they would appear to be
OD&D miniatures, using Dave Sutherland's art from
Eldritch Wizardry as models, right down to the fact that the Type IV demon has no wings. It's interesting too, because this issue of
Dragon is the last "pure" OD&D one, insofar as the first volume of
AD&D, the
Monster Manual was released in the same month, even though, as others have surmised, the MM seems to follow OD&D's rules more closely than it does
AD&D's.
Has anyone out there ever seen these? Were they ever in fact produced?
Wow, those are amazing. I've never seen them before. Is there a Type I Demon?
ReplyDeleteI remember buying miniatures, in 1980, from a company called Mini Figs, which might be the same company, but I don't every recall seeing these demons. They are of excellent quality for their time.
ReplyDeleteThe Demogorgon figure looks familiar, but if I had it, it's lost in the mists of time.
ReplyDeletePrince Demogorgan has bade me inform you of his displeasure at using his skinny jr. high miniature, instead of his high school one after he put on his football weight.
ReplyDeleteFound this after a 5 minute googling: http://www.dndlead.com/Minifigs/Minifigs.htm
ReplyDeleteSean: Minifigs had a lot of different lines of figures, including an extensive line of World of Greyhawk minis. This isn't them, though.
ReplyDeleteI still own several Minifigs miniatures, including the first minis I ever bought: a group of six Tolkien goblins. Back then, the company was a major force in minis production.
ReplyDeleteAs for those pictured, I *may* own the type VI or the type V, but I'd have to unpack a long-stored box to see.
KP's link is a match. Click on 'Demons' on the right side of the page.
ReplyDeleteThose are definitely legit Minifigs, and IIRC some Minifigs are available now from a new producer (like many of the old Heritage or Grenadier minis are): http://www.minifigs.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=194_208. Originals are quite pricey these days :(
ReplyDeleteAllan.
I have all of these. They were made by Minifigs as part of the official D&D range in 1977.
ReplyDeleteThey have a certain charm. :/
Minifigs was a big name in wargaming miniatures at the time.
ReplyDeleteI remember that a friend of mine has Orcus and Demogorgon; at least, he had them until about 1999 or 2000. Haven't seen them since.
ReplyDeletecached E-bay listing for one figure (Demogorgon) - $75.00
ReplyDeletehttp://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-D-D-DEMOGORGON-Minifigs-Miniature-DD1-/220665964270?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3360b766ee
At long last, it looks like the secret of alchemy has been discovered!!! There is finally a way to turn lead into gold. Now if I had actually kept all of my Minifigs and Ral Partha figures unpainted in their boxes and packs rather than playing with them, kit bashing them, subjecting them to wretched paint jobs . . . .
ReplyDeleteThese are fantastic. I'd love to see Otherworld Miniatures do a Demogorgon.
ReplyDeleteI had an unofficial Demogorgon miniature back in the day made by Grenadier. The figure looked just like Demogorgon except that the heads were more reptilian and had this weird shark fin growing out of the top of each of them. I took an x-acto knife to the fins and it looked much better.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing these in Spring of '78 at a hobby store in Fort Collins, Colorado.
ReplyDeleteI actually still own orcus and demogorgon. The others are a maybe.
ReplyDeleteWoW! I believe I have 1 or 2 of these in my box of long dead lead. I could be mistaken, but definitely going to look now. Good stuff!
ReplyDeleteHate to side track a conversation but I just saw this. Retro gaming indeed. >:)
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/redbox.aspx
I have the Orcus & Demogorgon figures, but I never got around to painting them. I've been meaning to build a demonic undead army, and these guys will be the perfect generals. . .
ReplyDeleteCiao!
GW
I don't have those ones but I have the Orcus and Demogorgon analogs from the Grenadier Fantasy Lords line. The Dungeon Dweller line has an Orcus and a Dispater look alike (now made by Minifigs 25921201 Demon Prince and 25921202 25mm Greater Devil)
ReplyDeleteI have the Demogorgon mini you have in the picture there, so they definitely were produced. Still have him, too =)
ReplyDeleteHave all of them and a almost full collectionof minifigs VFW series. They aren't cheap, at all.
ReplyDeleteFound em all for u bro, take a look. http://www.dndlead.com/minifigs/Demons.htm. , enjoy.
ReplyDelete